Francesco Manacorda is to lead Castello di Rivoli in Turin, replacing Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev who will retire at the end of the year after seven years at the helm.
Manacorda’s last job ended in extraordinary circumstances. He was director of the V-A-C Foundation in Moscow for five years, with the private foundation’s expansive Renzo Piano-designed private arts centre opening, after years of development, just two months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson pulled his exhibition at the centre the day after the attack started, with Manacorda resigning soon after. V-A-C founder Leonid Mikhelson, one of Russia’s richest businessman, has since been placed under sanctions by various Western governments.
‘Unfortunately, current events have significantly changed labour and personal conditions, which is why I came to the conclusion that I will not be able to continue working with the same dedication that I could be proud of,’ Manacorda told Russia’s TASS press service at the time. ‘My decision was given to me with much difficulty and regret.’
Previously, Manacorda was artistic director of Tate Liverpool from 2012 to 2017); director of Artissima art fair in Turin from 2010 to 2012 and a curator at Barbican Art Gallery in London 2007 to 2009). He has cocurated the 2016 Liverpool Biennial and in 2018 the 11th Taipei Biennial.
Christov-Bakargiev’s association with the Castello began when she was appointed chief curator in 2002; she was appointed director in 2016. She is perhaps best known for her sprawling approach to assembling exhibitions, most notably as artistic director of dOCUMENTA (13) in 2012 (after its success she occupied the top slot in that year’s edition of ArtReview’s Power 100), and the 2015 Istanbul Biennial. She brought her approach to bear on Castello di Rivoli’s programme and activities, with longterm research projects, the purchase and display of the Cerruti collection and her efforts to use the museum as a vaccination site during the pandemic.
